Omd surprises

I was thinking about buying an omd in a few weeks so while I am in an area with a store that has one i decided to check it out in person to see if I liked it. It is so much smaller than I thought it would be! Did any of you omd owners feel the same way? Also, if any one with a grip would do me a favor and post a picture with the full grip on, but in your hands? I know what it looks like but I would like to see relatively the size of it with the grip. Maybe I should wait for the GH-3 as much as it pains me to give up on the idea of the omd.

Though I don't have it (I'm still debating whether to get it, since I'm only interested in the grip, not the battery pack), the biggest difference is not the size of the camera, but it's the way the EM-5 feels in your hand. It feels perfect! It doesn't feel fat, or oddly textured. the dial is closer to you finger and rotates horizontally rather than vertically (a reason why I preferred Minolta over Canon back in the day), and it's still nowhere as heavy as a mirrored DSLR.

I think the bigger difference between the GH3 and EM-5 is not so much the grip in your hands, but the location of the Image Stabilization feature.

...oh, and from what I hear, the GH3 is better with video...if that's a concern for a photo camera.

Unlike Nic, I rarely use the LCD. The grip only comes off to change the batteries. I shoot nearly identically as if it was a dSLR. I use the LCD only for those once in a while odd shots. I am not one who has a problem with balance or size ... I find I can adjust relatively easily to ergonomics, but I find the camera is definitely easier to use, better handling with the grip. (But then I find all cameras easier to use with the grip.) The additional battery really makes the grip a must, as the camera seems to be on the energy hungry side of the equation and the batteries are small.

I felt slightly uncomfortable with the smallness of the E-M5 when I got it, though more comfortable with the control layout (apart from the on/off switch) than I am with my E-P3. I bought the Olympus grip and the landscape portion of the grip ended up living on the camera for some months, and the full grip on and off for short periods.

Then, to save a bit of space in my shoulder bag when just carrying the camera with me one day with the 17mm F/2.8 mounted, I removed the grip and just took the stock camera with me. That was a couple of weeks, maybe a month ago. The grip hasn't gone back on and I've really been enjoying the size and balance of the camera.

I don't know what the difference is but currently I'm preferring it without the grip and I never thought I'd find myself saying that because my initial reaction was a very strong one to the effect that the landscape grip was a big improvement and the portrait grip a further improvement with physically longer/heavier lenses because it added a bit more mass lower than my hands and that improved the stability with those lenses.

When I first got an E-M5 I was certain that I'd either buy a grip or get rid of the camera. Then a few weeks later I couldn't remember why I wanted a grip in the first place. Not sure how that applies to anyone else, but I guess I'd recommend giving it a chance beyond a quick fondle at the camera shop.

I was very surprised at just how tiny it feels in the beginning, but it's a very comfortable size - easy to pack, easy to hold, easy to operate. Finding the best way to operate the dials and switches took a while, but now it's my ideal small camera. The big Canon DSLR is more comfortable to operate, but is ridiculously large and heavy and annoying to carry around in a lot of situations.